In The Lives of Christopher Chant, Francis lives with his father (his mother is not mentioned) in Wiltshire. They keep horses, and ride to hounds. Francis, who is about Christopher's age, despises Christopher because he's a townee, because he's the product of what Francis' family consider to be a bad marriage, and because he can't do magic. Christopher considers Francis, not without justification, to be a smug prat.

In Charmed Life, we learn that he married his cousin Caroline, despite opposition from their family. After they eloped to Wolvercote, they were shunned and disinherited by their family; their cousin Christopher offered assistance, but after Francis rejected it in no uncertain terms he too left them alone. (The early part of their correspondence does not survive, so it is unclear to what extent Christopher was at fault for Francis's reaction; tact is not among Christopher's most famous qualities.) They lived upstairs at 26 Coven Street, Wolvercote, and had two children, Gwendolen and Eric. Twelve years into their marriage, Francis and Caroline were killed in the ''Saucy Nancy'' Disaster, leaving Gwendolen and Eric orphans.